The compact, crossover SUV first arrived in the U.S. in 1996. Now, 13 years later, Volkswagen introduces its first small SUV – the 2009 Tiguan. Like other Volkswagens, the Tiguan attempts to differentiate itself from competitors by aiming a bit upmarket in terms of standard features, optional equipment, and price. Nevertheless, it sticks to the compact crossover recipe first introduced by the original Toyota RAV4: front- or all-wheel drive, four-cylinder engine, room for five people, tall seating positions, and useful cargo space.

Here is a summary of the key attributes of the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan:
• First compact SUV to wear a Volkswagen badge (if you don’t count the Thing)
• Three trim levels: S, SE and SEL
• Front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive
• Standard 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine
• Manual or automatic transmission
• Rear seats fold, recline, and slide fore and aft
• Front passenger’s seat folds flat
• Standard stability control system
• Optional rear side-impact airbags
• Available panoramic sunroof with 13 square feet of glass
• Available navigation system with 30GB hard drive
• Volkswagen’s Carefree Maintenance Program covers all scheduled maintenance for the first three years or 36,000 miles of ownership.

Volkswagen sells the Tiguan in S, SE, and SEL trim levels. Notable standard features on the Tiguan S include 16-inch alloy wheels, heated side mirrors, air conditioning, cruise control, outside temperature display, an auxiliary input jack, Sirius satellite radio, 8-way manually adjustable front seats, power windows and door locks, and a tilt and telescopic steering column. The Tiguan S is offered only with front-wheel drive, and is the only model available with a manual transmission. If you want the 4Motion all-wheel drive system, you need to choose SE or SEL trim.

The Tiguan SE includes an automatic transmission. It also adds tinted privacy glass, fog lights, a roof rack, upscale interior and exterior trim, 17-inch alloy wheels, heated washer nozzles, a trip computer, an upgraded audio system, nicer cloth upholstery, heated front seats with power recline adjustment and lumbar support, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. Selecting SE trim is the pathway to 4Motion all-wheel drive, and is also the route to options like a panoramic sunroof and a navigation system.

Shoppers looking for luxury can choose the Tiguan SEL. This model adds leather upholstery, 12-way power adjustable front seats with driver memory settings, a premium Dynaudio audio system, dual-zone automatic climate control, automatic bi-Xenon headlights with Adaptive Front Lighting System, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, 18-inch alloy wheels, and rain-sensing wipers. A fully-loaded 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL with 4Motion all-wheel drive, navigation, the panoramic sunroof, rear side-impact airbags, and a few other goodies costs about $36,750, according to VW’s website.

The 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan is equipped with a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 200 horsepower between 5,100 and 6,000 rpm, and 207 lb.-ft. of torque between 1,700 and 5,000 rpm, running on premium unleaded fuel. A 6-speed manual transmission is standard on front-wheel-drive models, with a 6-speed automatic optional. The automatic is required if the buyer wants to include the available 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. We spent a week driving a Tiguan S with front-wheel drive and an automatic transmission, which is rated by the EPA to deliver 18 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway. We averaged 21.1 mpg in mixed driving.

Standard safety equipment on the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan includes dual front airbags, dual seat-mounted side-impact airbags for the front seats, and side curtain airbags for both rows of seats. Rear side-impact airbags are optional. Every VW Tiguan also comes equipped with four-wheel-disc ABS with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist. Additionally, the Tiguan includes a stability control system with traction control. Optional on the Tiguan SE and SEL is a navigation system with a built-in reversing camera for safer backing out of driveways and parking spaces. Only the Tiguan SEL comes standard with the bi-Xenon headlights and adaptive front lighting system that helps the driver see better around turns when driving at night.

J.D. Power and Associates says the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan competes against other compact multi-activity vehicles such as the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Jeep Patriot, Mazda CX-7, Nissan Rogue, Saturn Vue, Subaru Forester, and Toyota RAV4.